France Grand Tour 2024 - GRAND DEPART - ITALY EXPERIENCE
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Location
Northern Italy
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Duration
5 days / 4 nights / 3 stages
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Length
1,623 km
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Climb
15,000 m+
28 Jun 2024 - 2 Jul 2024
Quelle Surprise! The Grand Tour of France, THE premier cycling event of the 2024 UCI calendar is in Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, Lombardy and Piedmont, Italy! Not only an epic and iconic route, but one that starts and visits the homes of the former legendary Italian cyclists - Bartali, Pantani and Coppi. Italy’s Giro d’Italia is one of our favourite events and France’s Grand Tour is riding through or finishing in some of the same towns and cities. Even the French love Italy!
The Grand Depart of the 111th edition of the World's premier cycle race in France, starts in Florence, Italy. What a beautiful place to start - beautiful mediaeval Florence, summer Tuscan riding, food and wine, and of course passionate cycling fans.
Stage 1 starts in Florence and crosses Tuscany and the Apennines to San Marino - the world’s oldest republic - to Rimini on the Adriatic coast. Stage 2 starts in Cesenatico, the home of Il Pirata, the late and great Marco Pantani. The route travels through the countryside of the Emilia Romagna region, and finishes in the centre of beautiful Bologna after some testing climbs. Stage 3, starts in Piacenza and heads to the home of Fausto Coppi in Lombardy before skirting the northern end of the Apeninnes into Piedmonte and finishing Turin.
The Grand Tours Project Grand Depart Experience provides support and guidance along the best parts of the Grand Depart route, including some of the climbs and descents plus detours to experience the places visited; gastronomic dining of the regions; hand picked comfortable and charming accommodation; and most importantly, watching the race along with passionate Italian fans…but decked out in yellow rather than Giro d’Italia pink!
For the professional riders, the route is 630 kilometres long, and several thousands of metres vertical - for you, up to ??? km. Are you ready to join us and Experience France’s Grand Depart in Italy?
Total price: From €2,740
- Ride along portions of stages 1 to 3, on the race route, before the pros
- Ride through the gastronomic regions of northern Italy - Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, Lombardy and Piedmont
- Test yourself on some of the climbs of each stage
- Fly across fast and furious flat landscapes
- Visit beautiful mediaeval cities
- Expert planning and support from our team (guides, mechanics, drivers)
- Premium rental bike available (Full carbon disc brake + Ultegra di2 electronic)
- Level of fitness: MEDIUM - fit enough to ride 2 to 4 hours or 50 to 100 km per day.
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DAY 1 - FRIDAY 28 JUNE
Bienvenue & Benvenuto
HOTEL near Florence
We will meet you at Florence Airport and take you to your hotel nearby. After check in, we will help assemble your bike or fit you to your rental bike and then ride a route to test the bikes and enjoy the Tuscan landscapes. A stop will be arranged at the Bartoli Museum. Back at the hotel we will meet for pre-dinner drinks to present the GTP musettes and discuss the logistics for the coming week. Finally, our first dinner together. *Early arrival on 27th morning can be arrange and you will be able to participate in the Team Presentation.
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DAY 2 - SATURDAY 29 JUNE
STAGE 1 - FLORENCE -
55 km | 980 m or 80 km | 1,100 m
HOTEL near Bologna
Straight after breakfast you are on the official race route from Florence and into the summer Tuscan countryside. Roads will be closed and the route will be coloured yellow in anticipation of the race later. Your target is the gentle climb to Valico Tre Faggi (989 m) followed by a descent into Emilia Romagna and Monte e passo delle Forche (430 m). En route the team will find a place to stop for a picnic and then watch the racers climb past. The team will then transfer you to your hotel near Bologna.
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DAY 3 - SUNDAY 30 JUNE
STAGE 2 - BOLOGNA
65 km | 1,000 m
HOTEL NEAR Asti
The team will transfer you to the outskirts of Bologna. Here you will start your ride on the race route into Bologna. The route takes you up into the hills in the reserve just south of Bologna. Not big climbs but a couple of steep ramps to get the heart pumping. Then back down to the plains and into the city for a double 9 km circuit to San Luca past the colonnade and up to 10%, before finishing in the centre. A trattoria for lunch before finding an optimal place to watch the pros arrive at the finish. You will be transferred to your hotel near Asti.
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DAY 4 - MONDAY 1 JULY
STAGE 3 - PIEDMONT & TURIN
70 km | 700 m
HOTEL near Turin
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Nizza Monferrato, famous for the Barbera wine produced here. The race route skirts the town and you start your journey following the undulating race route through the countryside lined with vineyards and pastures, castles and beautiful villages like Neive. Crossing through beautiful Alba and a quick lunch, you will climb Sommariva Perno (389 m) and descend to Ceresole Alba before a transfer to Torina to watch the Stage 3 finish.
Shorter route start from Nizza Montferrato
Piedmonte lunch & Wine tasting
Watch the race In Turin at finish
Transfer to Turin -
DAY 5 - TUESDAY 2 JULY
AU REVOIR & ARRIVEDERCI
Hotel near Tarbes
The Grand Boucle Grand Depart riding in Northern Italy, Italian gastronomic dining, summer riding, Italian passion, varied landscapes, beaches and beautiful cities. The GTP team hope that this week has not failed to give you a taste and experience of riding during a Grand Tour.
We will assist you in checking out and take you to Turin Airport for your flight home or to your next destination. As always, ride safe and see you on the road again soon.
